The invention relates to devices for adjusting the position of the shoulder strap of a vehicle seat belt.
Most vehicle seat belts, e.g., for automobiles and trucks, are proportioned for use by a normal size or larger adult, with the shoulder strap positioned accordingly. Automobile safety research indicates that there is a gap in protecting school-age children who are too big for toddler car seats and too small for optimum use of adult lap-shoulder belts. When a child or small adult uses the lap-shoulder belt, the shoulder strap presses uncomfortably into user""s neck, or, for smaller children, extends across the user""s face. Even average size or larger adults sometimes find the shoulder strap uncomfortable. As a result, many children, and even smaller or other adults, neglect to use the seat belt, ride with the shoulder strap clamped between their body and the seat, or otherwise obstruct or entirely defeat the safety objectives of the seat belt.
The invention fills the gap in seat belt protection described above, by providing a seat belt shoulder strap adjustment device for use by children and small adults. This adjustment device retains the shoulder strap of a vehicle seat belt in a position comfortably away from the user""s neck and face, while still meeting the safety objectives of the seat belt.
The adjustment device includes a body attachment device which is adjustably positioned about a user""s body, especially a user""s shoulder, and a releasable securement device which secures the seat belt shoulder strap to the body attachment device, drawing the shoulder strap away from the user""s face and neck region. The body attachment device and the releasable securement device are both adjustable for comfort and fit.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a presently preferred embodiment, and from the claims.